Inflation increase proving difficult for Louisville gluten-free restaurant

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Highlands restaurant has been trying to adjust to the rising cost of inflation and thanks to recent donations will be able to keep its doors open.

Angela Pike works hard to keep her customers happy at her restaurant The Silly Axe Cafe on Dundee Road. The restaurant is a play on words on what she and two million people are living with: Celiac Disease.

“Our goal is to be able to give somebody a little bit of normalcy in their life for at least an hour,” said Pike.

The café focuses on gluten-free items and those with serious food allergies. Economically, it has been increasingly challenging for Pike. Some items she cooks with have increased 10 times their cost before the pandemic.

“There are certain menu items that that aren't even feasible for me to run anymore,” Pike said.

In January, frozen pipes above her restaurant burst, flooding the restaurant below. A couple days later, an ice storm caused power to go out so nothing could be refrigerated, causing product to be lost.

Pike created a GoFundMe page to help curb the costs for her customers. Her customers showed how much they supported her – raising $22,000 in a week.

“My goal is for this money to be able to give us a new beginning at the Silly Axe Cafe and to ensure that we're able to start this new menu and keep us going for years to come,” said Pike.

Pike is now streamlining her menu — while everything will continue to be made from scratch, she is working at making it more affordable labor-wise and for food costs.

For some, the cafe is the only place those with celiac disease can eat without fear of cross-contamination or a possible allergic reaction.

“When I sat down and I thought about it and I looked at the debt I was facing and everything up against me I thought 'If I were to turn around and close these doors tomorrow, an entire community would grieve' — and they would,'" Pike said. “While I am well aware we are not the best restaurant in the city, I strongly believe that we are the most important restaurant in the city.”

The Silly Axe Cafe is located at 2216 Dundee Road in Louisville.